How to Hang a Hammock Chair

Written By Matthew Cordero

If you’ve got yourself a hammock chair, congratulations! It is a great way to relax. Though you cannot stretch out like you would on a traditional hammock, this is a great choice especially if you have a space limitation.

Of course, for the relaxation to begin, you first need to get it hung safely and be sure that your hammock is not going to give way, throwing you unceremoniously on the floor.

Table of Contents

Initial Considerations
- Hanging Style
- Choosing a Location
Tools Required
Installation Instructions
Conclusion

Initial Considerations

Here are some of the things you should consider after deciding that you want a hammock chair.

Hanging Style

There are two ways to hang a hammock chair.

Swing Style: You can sway back and forth and can hang it with or without a spreader bar. This will need two anchor points in your ceiling if you want it hanging indoors or a single sturdy tree branch if you want to hang it in your backyard. If you have a very narrow space to hang your hammock, using a spreader bar is best.
Pivot Style: If you want to drift off dreamily and rotate 360 degrees, this style will suit you best. All you will need is a single anchor point.

Choosing a Location

When identifying the location, make sure you find a space where you have elbow room to move a little. That is the fun aspect of being on a hammock chair as against a regular chair - the fact that you can swing or sway. Adding a spring to your hammock chair will up its fun quotient by adding a little bounce.

Make sure you have enough gap between the floor and the hammock. When you sit on it, it is likely to sag. If it is too close to the floor, then you will bump against the floor and again lose the fun of sitting on a free-flowing hammock chair.

Here are others things you should keep in mind.

Height: Get a good clearance from the ground, at least two feet, to make sure you don’t bump on the floor when you sit on the hammock chair.
Weight: While most hammock chairs can take up to 400 lb of weight if the straps or ropes that you use cannot carry 1,000 lb or more, it will be pointless.
Space: Have enough moving space for you to sway, swing, or rotate so that you don’t lose the fun of sitting on a hammock chair.
Quality Accessories: Get only the best quality of accessories such as eye bolts, a hook, rope, hammock ring, and so on for swinging with ease.
Good Tools: Get the right tools as well as good quality ones to make sure the installation is quick and does not damage your property.
Eye Protection: Protect your eyes when drilling as dust is likely to get into your eyes.

Tools Required

The good news is that it is easy to hang the hammock chair up safely and enjoy this comfort without any care. All you need are some good-quality tools easily available at your local hardware store or online.

Stud Finder: This can help locate the stud behind a wall to hang heavy objects from. Though a hammock is light, once you sit on it, the story is different.
Pencil: To mark the center of the ceiling joist.
Eye-bolt Screw: To support the hammock chair and its occupants.
Drill and ¼” Bit: To drill a pilot hole for the eye bolt.
S-Hook: This connects the eye of the bolt with the hammock.
Ropes: If required, loop the hammock chair to the "S" hook above.
Spring or Swivel: To add fun to your hammock chair experience.

Follow some simple steps once you have the tools.

Installation Instructions

There are also options available below if you do not want to drill the walls or if you want it in your backyard.

1
Locate the joist using your stud finder and mark the area with a pencil.
2
Drill a vertical pilot hole into the joist till you hit the wood.
3Tightly screw in the eye bolt and make sure it is attached strongly and can carry your weight.
4
Insert the "S" hook and the spring (if you want to) with the eye bolt.
5
Hang the hammock chair to the other side of the "S" hook or spring.
6
Check to make sure the hanging hammock chair is able to carry your weight.

After installation, it’s time to test your chair. The safest way to test is to sit slowly in the chair with your feet on the floor. Once you feel a little safe, gradually lift your feet off the ground and rest your weight on the chair.

If it holds then, congratulations, you have installed the hammock chair correctly. Make sure that the swing is at least three feet above the floor.

So now, you how to put your chair but do you know what things you should keep in mind while hanging a hammock chair indoors or from a tree or in a pergola?

Hanging from a Tree Branch

If you want to hang it outdoors, find a sturdy branch, and follow the steps given below to enjoy some me-time communing with nature.

1
Find a branch that can bear your weight.
2
Take a good quality rope or chain and hold it with the hammock ring to encircle the branch keeping at least an 8-inch distance between the ring and the branch.
3
If you use a link lock to connect the hammock ring and the rope or chain, you can easily shift the hammock from outdoor to indoor.
4Keep it at least two feet off and test its weight before settling down comfortably.

Hanging from a Pergola

If you have a pergola in your backyard, then a hanging hammock chair would add to the excitement of relaxing there.

1
Decide how high up you want the hammock chair to be.
2
Adjust the length of the chain and connect the chain to the pergola.
3
Mark spots on either side of the beam as anchor points from where you will hang the chain.
4
Drill the two spots with a drill bit and insert eye bolts making sure it is tight enough to withstand your weight.
5
Connect a snap hook with the chain on both sides and hang the hammock chair swing on the eye bolt.

Enjoy some time chilling in the pergola.

Can I Hang it Without Drilling?

Getting a hammock chair can be exciting. But a great dampener is when you realize that you cannot drill holes in your walls and do not have a great backyard with trees to hang it from.

There are many reasons why you cannot drill into walls or ceilings.

You live in a rented apartment and have a blanket refusal to drill into walls or ceilings.
You live in your own home but it is new and you do not want to ruin it by drilling.
You cannot locate a stud or a beam that can take your weight or it is not where you would like your hammock chair to hang from.
You do not want to spend on buying tools and hardware you would need to drill and hang the hammock chair from.
Your house walls are made of asbestos and therefore drilling is not safe.
You are not comfortable drilling, don’t have the time, or are not inclined towards it.

Does that mean you cannot have your own hammock chair at home? Don’t despair. There are equally exciting alternatives that will also enhance your decor. Some of these options include:

Hammock Stands: Some hammock chairs come with a stand but are also available separately. Find one that is suitable for the space available in your home and create that cozy niche without much ado. They are easy to set up and come with instructions that, when you follow diligently, make it easy to assemble using just a few nuts and bolts that come with the package. It is not only simple to set up but can also be moved around the house.
Find a Post: Look around and you may see posts or columns inside your home where you can hang the hammock chair from conveniently. Hammock tree straps are available at a low cost and you can have your chair up and hang in no time. The straps, made from non-stretch materials, can withstand nearly 2,000 lb of weight so you need have no worries about that. They are easy and simple - just wrap it around your column or post, push it through the loop and tighten it by pulling. Attach a carabiner to one of the loops and link that to the hammock.
Roof Beams: If you have roof beams, then you can use the straps around those similar to the posts or columns.

Conclusion

In a life filled with stress and activities, just sitting back and putting your feet up can be a luxury. But it does not need to cost too much. You can enjoy the luxury of rest with a very inexpensive option, the hanging hammock chair. You can sit back in comfort and read, connect to friends, or just be without worries as you sway gently on your hanging chair.

Hang it up the right way and have unadulterated fun relaxing on the hammock chair.